Maya Ibuki's reply carried clear hesitation. "It would be difficult."
Asuka's current condition was neither Shinji Ikari's doing nor what he had wanted.
The true cause was Doctor Kyoko's soul within Unit-02's core.
Amid the torrent of information, that mother's soul had overlaid Asuka's existence onto Unit-02, storing it there to keep her safe.
That was how Asuka had held on until they returned to Earth, when Shinji Ikari helped expel the excess information from her body so she would not lose herself.
"If we had a way to separate them, the Child of God would have returned three years ago," Maya added.
"Is there really no way?"
Misato Katsuragi pressed her, a trace of unwillingness to give up in her voice.
Maya Ibuki considered it for a moment, a faint glimmer flashing in her eyes.
"Perhaps we could contact NERV USA. They've been researching how to genetically modify pilot candidates to create suitable pilots EVA will choose."
The branch Maya Ibuki referred to had withdrawn from the United Nations and now belonged to the United States government.
"How exactly do they do it?" Misato Katsuragi asked.
"We don't know the details, but the central idea is to abandon the complex connections of human consciousness."
Maya Ibuki brought up the available information on the screen.
"Instead, they incorporate genes from other animals into both the EVA and its pilot, making control simpler."
"Professor Fuyutsuki, you know about this, don't you? In theory, it could greatly lower the requirements for activating an EVA."
Kozo Fuyutsuki nodded, his expression grave.
"Ikari knew about this proposal too. But the risks are extremely high. The pilot could very well lose their human form, with the incorporated animal traits manifesting in full."
"SEELE rejected the proposal back then because, while such pilots could serve as